Conventional Medicine vs. Alternative Medicine By: Rebekah ...

Conventional Medicine vs. Alternative Medicine

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Conventional Medicine vs. Alternative Medicine By: Rebekah Gordon

Practical Application of Advanced Mathematics Mrs. Amy Goodrum and Mrs. Anna Hunt July 14, 2010

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Abstract

OTC drugs are "over the counter," drugs you can buy without a prescription from your individual doctor. CAM stands for Complementary or Alternative Medicine. Complementary medicine is used in addition to conventional medicine, while alternative medicine replaces conventional medicine. CAM includes movement therapies, traditional healers, manipulation of energy fields, body-based therapies, and more. Many CAM practices have been used in Ancient Greece, China, Japan, India, Arabic Nations, Egypt, and Rome (Doan, 2007). This study tested the similarities and differences between Conventional methods and CAM, along with their side effects. The results showed that a majority of people have not tried alternative methods of medicine (What is CAM, 2010). Those that have felt that it had hardly any side effects, also thought the medicine overall was less effective than taking OTC drugs. OTC drugs have more side effects. Participant's side effects included: nausea, headaches, stomach aches, dizziness, drowsiness, gas, and feeling light-headed.

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Background

In the United States, an eight year old can walk into a local CVS and buy a container of Advil or Ibuprofen, but what about the side effects? Should we trust children, or even adults, with common over-the-counter (OTC) drugs? Complementary or Alternative Medicine (CAM) provides various forms of medicine other then, or in addition to, common OTC drugs. Both conventional and alternative forms of medicine have benefits and negative side effects. Anyone who uses either form of medicine should be aware of which medicine is better for them specifically (What is CAM, 2010).

Common OTC drugs include: Benadryl, Mucinex, Robitussin, Laxatives, Acetaminophens, such as Tylenol, and NSAIDS, such as Aleve, Advil, Bayer, Ibuprofen, and Motrin. Acetaminophens and ASAIDS are most commonly used for pain relief, fever, and menstrual cramps. Mucinex and Robitussin relieve cold, cough, and flu symptoms. Laxatives

prevent abdominal pain and stimulate bowel muscles, or treat constipation. Finally, Benadryl is often used to control allergies and the body's reactions to those allergies (Over-the-counter drugs, 2010).

Common side effects to these OTC drugs vary with each person. Some people experience drowsiness, nausea, headaches, dizziness, rash, vomiting, constipation, fatigue, and more. Longterm side effects can include ulcers, prolonged bleeding, kidney and liver failure, heart and blood vessel disease, heart attacks, stroke, and others. However, these side effects occur more commonly in people who have a pre-existing condition, such as asthma (OTC medicines, 2010).

In a survey conducted by National Council on Patient Information and Education, NCPIE, in 2001 the NCPIE found that three in five Americans, or 59 percent, had taken a non-prescription

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drug in the past six months. Seventy-eight percent took drugs for pain relief. The problem is the people taking the drugs do not know the risks. Only 34 percent of those surveyed could identify the ingredients in their pain reliever. Fifty-one percent of Americans said they look at the usage information before taking a drug, but only 20 percent look at the active ingredient. If they do not look at the labels properly they could consume too much of one drug or have many negative side effects. A third of Americans admitted to taking more than the recommended dose. Usually because they think the results will come faster or work better. A third of Americans also say that they will consume more than one prescription drug at a time to heal different illnesses. However, 75 percent of practitioners speak to their clients about OTC drugs and the risks involved, which can greatly lessen the likelihood that a person will abuse a drug (Carmona, 2002).

Common CAM practices include: yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massages, teas, and herbs, such as St. John's Wort. Acupuncture stimulates specific points in the body with the use of needles. The aim of acupuncture is to maintain or gain health in the body by preventing or healing pain (Acupuncture, 2010). Massages, yoga, and meditation are calming practices. During a massage, a professional rubs, kneads, and presses on the muscles and tissue of the body, using lotions and oils, to relieve pain and calm the patient (Massages, 2010). Yoga is a more physically demanding activity. When performing yoga, a person does and series of stretches, poses, and breathing exercises to relax, exercise, and balance the mind (Yoga, 2010). Meditation is very similar. During meditation, a person finds a quiet place to get in a comfortable position and focus on a breathing style or a mantra. Doing so is supposed to reduce stress, and control your emotions and attention (Meditation, 2010). There are hundreds of teas and herbs people can use for healing practices. St. John's Wort, for example, is used for many different

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things, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. It has also been used for malaria, nerve pain, mental disorders, insect bites, wounds, and burns. In addition, Ginger is used to treat nausea. Teas and herbs can be very helpful complementary or alternative medicines because there are so many types of each that treat different things. However, not everyone agrees that teas and herbs are helpful at all (St. John's Wort, 2010).

Acupuncture has few negative side effects unless it is preformed without properly sterilized needles or not by a professional. Meditation, massages, and yoga have little negative effects also unless you have physical limitations such as heart disease or asthma, or allergic reactions to massage oils. Also, a patient could cause discomfort to certain muscles in the body doing yoga and meditating. Teas and herbs can have worse effects. For example, St. John's Wort can cause fatigue, headaches, sexual dysfunction, and slow or speed the reaction of prescription drugs (Doan, 2010).

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's, NCCAM, mission is to use to the scientific method to study the practices of CAM. They study the practices in order to have evidence that the practices are safe and effective. The NCCAM studies what CAM practices are supposed to achieve, if they achieve those goals, and how they can improve CAM practice. The NCCAM can achieve their overall mission through basic clinical research, education and outreach programs, and researching capacity building and training. (What is CAM, 2010).

According to the National Health Interview Survey in 2007, in the previous year, about 18 million adults and 170,000 children had a massage, 20 million adults and 725,000 children used meditation, 13 million adults and 1.5 million children did yoga, and 3.1 million adults and 150,000 children used acupuncture. These practices can treat back and neck pain, better moods,

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